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We just returned from a very successful engagement in Chattanooga. Over the course of four days we painted seven paintings, ranging from custom speed paintings of the company’s beloved founder and other of their top men, to Jimi Hendrix (painted upside down) and John Lennon, and ending with the corporate mascot. They loved it.

I love watching the audience reactions as the paintings develop. They have before them an artist with nothing more than paint and paper, black and empty, standing stark on the stage. And in mere minutes all is transformed into a work of art. It doesn’t matter how “sophisticated” their taste in art is. Some may yearn for Monet or Rodin, some may cherish album cover art, some are happy with dogs playing poker. It doesn’t matter what their taste is, their faces glow as the watch the painting develop before their eyes.

I realized some time ago, that it isn’t only the painting that enthralls, but the process as well. They aren’t merely looking at the world through the artist’s eyes, as we do when we gaze at some famous work, they are actually seeing it happen.

They are there for the moment of creation. They bear witness to a world seldom seen by any but the artist themselves. It is that moment that captivates as much or more than the final piece. It holds their attention as peer into a world of infinite possibilities. They not only get to see the world through the eyes of the artist, they get to experience that first moment when it comes to life.

This is why the speed painting live art shows are among my favorites. You get to bring the audience with you into fleeting world where action makes thought reality. It is a unique opportunity to open a door and invite the audience in so that, together, you can all experience that singular moment if creation.